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New Hampshire may have a strong future in the birch tree syrup business, according to Cornell University researchers who are exploring ways to make the syrup manufacturing profitable in the Northeast. Birch sap, which is currently produced in western Canada and Alaska, tastes completely different than its cousin, maple syrup, and is best used in savory dishes as a marinade.

Most people think of cookies and cakes when they think of vanilla, but the bean also adds wonderful flavor and complexity to savory dishes. Adding vanilla to marinades and rubs for fish and meat is a simple way to enhance the food's natural flavor.

Cocktails are easier to pair with food than wine is, according to a group of chefs who will demonstrate how to shake up a perfect match at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival in Australia in May. "With a cocktail you can adjust to the actual dish," said chef Colin Fassnidge. "So say you've got pork. You can have a cinnamon cocktail or a vanilla cocktail and you can match it a lot easier than wine because you can isolate flavors."

Maple syrup is a go-to ingredient for breakfast staples such as pancakes and French toast, but with tapping season underway in the Northeast it's the perfect time to explore maple syrup's true potential in a variety of dishes, from topping ice cream for a sweet treat to adding complexity to savory dishes such as wild rice soup or baked beans.

Though buttermilk is prized for making baked goods tender and tangy, its uses go well beyond muffins and pancakes. Buttermilk adds its distinctive flavor to salad dressings, marinades, fried chicken, mashed potatoes and many other foods.